Thomas von Steinaker first contacted Werner Herzog in 2020 about making a documentary about the prolific director. Von Steinacker’s peers told him he would hear no response from Herzog. He never met Herzog von Steinacker. That was two years ago. At that time, von Steinaecker completed “Werner Herzog: Radical Dreamer”. The 103-minute documentary chronicles not only Herzog’s 60-year career, but also explores what makes Herzog considered a filmmaker and as a human being.
German-born von Steinaker discovered Herzog in his early teens when he turned on the television and watched “Aguirre, the Wrath of God.” From that moment on, von Steinaker was “fascinated” by the director.
“Everything about[Aguirre, the Wrath of God]was shockingly different and strange,” he says. “The music, Klaus Kinski, the story, and last but not least, the documentary-style camera. The fact that such a film was made – from a cinematic point of view – in Germany was boring, it was unbelievable to me. I’ve never seen anything like that before. I was shocked, even shocked.”
Later in his life, von Steinaker drew inspiration from Herzog’s documentaries, which include “Grizzly Man” and “Encounters at the End of the World”, as well as his books, “Walking in Ice” and “Useless Invasion”.
“Both books made a lasting impression on me as a writer and have no equal in the history of German literature,” says von Steinaker.
In “Werner Herzog: Radical Dreamer,” von Steinaker interviews actors and directors including Chloe Chow, Joshua Oppenheimer, Wim Wenders, Nicole Kidman, Christian Bale, and Robert Pattinson about what makes Werner Werner. The film also features interviews with Herzog, his wife Lina, and other family members. Speaking heads along with archival footage of Herzog in action along with his upbringing stories reveal a man who always followed his dreams and never gave up.
“Werner Herzog: Radical Dreamer,” part of IDFA’s Best of Fest division, made its worldwide debut at the Telluride Film Festival in September. Variety spoke with von Steinaecker about funding the films, securing interviews, and what he hopes audiences will gain from his documentary.
Werner Herzog with Thomas von Steinaker in Lanzarote in “Radical Dreamer”
Courtesy of 3B Produktion, Joanna Janssen
Before the production of this documentary, she did not know Werner Herzog. How did you convince him that you were the right person to make a movie about?
Gatekeeper Werner is his brother Lucki Stipetic and she coped well when I came up with the idea. I trusted Lucki and he trusted me. The vision I had for the movie was something he felt comfortable with, so he said, “Let’s give it a try.” Normally I would fly to Los Angeles to meet Werner, but the coronavirus prevented that from happening. So, instead, I texted him and two of my novels. Then we talked on Skype and I was really nervous because I thought of Werner as that creepy guy but 10 seconds later we somehow formed that deep connection, and we didn’t talk about the movie at all.
Herzog has made so many films, how did you decide to focus on just a few of them including “Aguirre, The Wrath of God” (1972) and “Fitzcarraldo” (1982)?
It seemed like an impossible task, but it was clear to me what films should be in the documentary. “Fitzcaraldo” is an important film, not only to Werner, but to the history of the film. It was also a turning point in Werner’s career, so it was always clear that this movie would play a major role in my document. “Aguirre” is the first collaboration between (Klaus) Kinski and Werner, so it had to be in it. Most people in Germany stopped watching Werner films after “Fitzcaraldo,” so I knew this documentary would be an opportunity to show the German audience that there are more to these great masterpieces from the 70s and 80s. There are also these documentaries that have been very successful in the United States.
Is the “radical dreamer” biological?
no. Werner’s private life does not play a role in the film, and there is not much analysis of his films. I always thought this project should be like a story that tells a story. I wanted to create this poetic atmosphere.
How did you fund the document?
Half of the budget came from German state funds and the other half from American investors such as Wavelength.
Was there any part of you that wanted to make this document so you could learn from Werner?
I wouldn’t say that because my way of making films is very different from Werner’s. But of course, he is an expert in filmmaking and there is a lot to learn from him. For example, after showing him a rough clip of the movie, which was my idea, he immediately said, ‘Let’s watch it again. I have some comments. It wasn’t structural comments, it was just cutting out more than 2 seconds or lengthening the image for 2 seconds. These suggestions made a big difference.
So while filming “Radical Dreamer,” Werner didn’t tell you which camera lens to use or what questions to ask him?
no never. He didn’t want to interfere. That was our deal because I knew I wouldn’t be able to work like that. It was scary enough to film a documentary about one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. But I found letting go of the ego and focusing on the story and my connection with Werner was really the most important thing.
Nicole Kidman and Robert Pattinson worked with Werner on ‘Queen of the Desert’ (2015) and Christian Bale worked with him on his 2006 movie ‘Rescue Dawn’.“ How was it like securing interviews for this docu?
It was surreal because I didn’t think people like Kidman or Bill or Pattinson would agree to an interview. They are very famous. Why are they interviewing an unknown German filmmaker for a documentary on Werner Herzog? But it tells you a lot about its importance and impact on people, because they all agreed on the spot.
What do you think viewers will talk about after watching this docu?
I think they will find inspiration in Werner. He is someone who has never given up and pursued his dreams and visions, and against all odds, his story has a happy ending. I mean, how likely is it that a poor boy from the mountains of Bavaria would become like that, an icon and a star in Hollywood.
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